Friends Until We're Dead
by Thanatos' Wrath
Summary: Shinigami hasn't seen Black Star since he left for war a year ago. How is Black Star? And what did he do this time? AU Oneshot.


**AN: Yeah, so this was just a little something I wrote last year that I forgot about. I just found it, so I fixed it up and here it is. Flames will be used to burn your soul in hell. Enjoy!**

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When I look back into my past I always think of my childhood friend Black Star and his few days the army. We both came from noble bloodlines and became samurai. A great civil war had broke out here in Japan, so I had left to fight for our daimyo one year before. I was 26 and he only 25, one year underage, so I left while he stayed. One can only imagine what joy I felt when he walked into the camp. I met greeted him warmly.

"Black Star! How are you!?"

"Hello Shinigami! Are you ready to witness me surpass the gods and turn the tide of this war!?"

Yup, that was the same Black Star I had left. Egocentric and constantly talking about surpassing the gods. As I led him into his tent, we talked about the old days and in my mind and image appeared of us as little boys running around playing soldier. Two small little children, with wooden swords running around a grass field, playing around, laughing about the glory and honor of war. Oh, how so much had changed since then. Black Star still had his spiked blue hair, and I still wore my black cloak, but that was all that was the same. While I had grown up disciplined and strict, Black Star was a wild card. Always pushing the rules. And while war was honorable, it had no glory. War was bloody, cruel, and heartless.

The sound of the war gong snapped me for my thoughts. I turned to Black Star.

"So are you ready to go to battle?"

"You bet!" He replied. But I could see something in his eyes, something I have never seen before. Anxiousness? Nervousness? Maybe even fear? I brushed it aside. It was Black Star I was thinking of. He was one of the most outgoing, courageous, hardheaded people I knew, and wouldn't let anyone or anything get in the way of him returning to his wife Tsubaki.

The battle was soon upon us, countless bodies lay slain in the ground, and I continued to slash down my opponents. Heads rolled, the smell of severed limbs already started to stench the air, and my armor was coated in the blood of my foe. I lost track of Black Star at the start of the fight but when I found him I wish I hadn't.

I had slain a man and was looking around for another when I saw him. Black Star was hiding behind a rock and when a solider to walked pass he jumped out and kill him. I was horrified. I knew he was a wild card but to fight in that manner was unthinkable. How many times had he killed like that? Once was enough to condemn him.

Samurai fighting was supposed to be honorable. Each battle one fought was supposed to be proper, neat and tidy, following the bushido code to the T. One was supposed of introduce oneself to the opponent before the fight began. Jumping somebody like that was dishonorable and the only way to gain honor back was seppuku, the ritual suicide.

Throughout the rest of the battle I was trouble. I was honor bound to turn Black Star in, but if I did, he would die. Nevertheless Black Star broke the Bushido code and if I didn't turn him in I might lose honor and also have to commit seppuku. I made up my mind and slowly made my way to the commanders tent, sealing Black Stars fate.

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Later that night I confronted him.

"Black Star, you're my closest friends, I've known you since we were born. You've always been honorable and true, so why would you do something so cowardly?"

"What are you talking about, Shinigami?" He asked

"On the battlefield, I know what you did." Realization dawned on his face. "And you know the Bushido Code. I was honor bound to turn you in."

"What! How could you! You know that I would have to commit seppuku to regain honor! I thought you were a friend." I wasn't expecting that and I was both hurt and annoyed.

"I am your friend. If I wasn't I wouldn't turn you in. You know that samurai fighting is supposed to be honorable. How could you jump that man like that?"

"You could have just ignored that and left me alone, we all would have been happy!" I could tell he was furious, but he was also nervous. Knowing you would die because of a friend is rather hard to deal with.

"You know what? We should have never have met. Everyone would be happier that way. In fact I no longer know you. You are officially a nobody to me." He continued.

Well that hurt, but I didn't care at the time. It was his fault that he was a coward and jumped that man.

"Very well then," I replied curtly. "The seppuku is tomorrow, I took the time to plan the entire thing for you, I suggest you be there unless you wish to be shunned and disrespected for the rest of your life." And with that I stormed to my tent and went to sleep.

The next morning was the seppuku. Black Star looked terrible, he had bags under his eyes, and his blue hair was messier than usual and he was as pale as the clouds in the sky.

He sat on the platform, removed his swords, wrote his will, cleaned, and wrapped his short sword as custom demanded. Then he took the blade and stabbed his stomach twice.

As he lay dying in agony, blood slowly pooling around him, wrapping him in its crimson blanket, I thought back at all of the good times we had. Once again I saw us running around playing and soldier. I realized how ridiculous I had acted when he got mad.

True, he had acted dishonorably, but in turning him in, I had dishonored our friendship and his trust. Realizing my mistake, I understood what I had to do to repay him.

I walked to the base Black Star's platform and announced to the crowd  
"As this man's best friend I will end his suffering now instead of letting him die slowly."

Slowly drawing my sword I stepped up the platform, walked up to Black Star. Right before I cut off his head, as custom directed, Black Star looked up at me and whispered

"Thank you." And I knew that all was forgiven and we would be best of friends even after his death.

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**Sooooo... That was that. I just wanted to get that down. Read, review, repeat!**

**Signing off,**

**Thanatos' Wrath**


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